Football place-kicking shoe



NOI. 7, 1967 J BEALLE 3,350,796

FOOTBALL PLACE -KI CKING SHOE Filed Jan. 26, 1967 INVENTOR M 7 3 /9. Bea Ne ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,350,796 FOOTBALL PLACE-KICKING SHOE Morris A. Bealle, 939 N. Kenmore St, Arlington, Va. 22201 Filed Jan. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 611,885 2 Claims. (Cl. 362.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shoe having a toe, including the sole portion thereof, especially formed with a concavity complemental to the curvature of a football to be place-kicked.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in football shoes, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate proper engagement of the shoe with a football to be placed-kicked, so that the ball may be accurately impelled in the desired direction.

This object is attained by especially forming the toe of the shoe with a forwardly and slightly upwardly oriented compound concavity which is substantially complemental to the curvature of the football, this concavity presenting a contacting surface which conforms to the ball and thereby enables the shoe to kick the ball in the desired direction and with the desired amount of lift.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may be come apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the football shoe of the invention, also showing a football in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the shoe; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in FIG- URE 2 and also showing a portion of the ball in dotted lines.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the football place-kicking shoe of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. For most part, the shoe is of a conventional construction, including a sole 11 and the usual upper 12, the invention concerning itself primarily with the toe 13 of the shoe.

As such, the toe 13 is especially formed to provide a concavity 14 which is substantially complemental to the curvature of a football 15 when the latter is held in a position to be place-kicked, as shown in the drawings.

3,350,796 Patented Nov. 7, 1967 The concavity 14 has a compound curvature in both horizontal and vertical planes, and is oriented forwardly and slightly upwardly of the toe. It will be also noted that the concavity opens downwardly through the front of the portion of the sole 11 underlying the toe, so that the sole does not interfere with contact of the concave surface 14 with the ball 15 when the latter is placed on the ground as illustrated.

Since the concave ball contacting surface 14 of the toe conforms to the curvature of the ball in a complemental manner as aforesaid, the ball may be placed-kicked by the shoe so as to be accurately impelled in. the desired direction, without flying off to one side or the other of the line of kick, as often happens when conventional shoes with a flat or a convex toe are employed. Also, since the convexity is oriented slightly upwardly as well as forwardly of the toe, a desired amount of lift will be imparted to the impelled ball.

Manifestly, the shoe may be made slightly longer than normal, so that the presence of the concavity in the toe does not cramp the toes of the wearer.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modifications and equivalents may be restored to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A shoe for place-kicking a football, said shoe hav ing a toe especially formed to provide a concavity which presents a ball contacting surface substantially complemental to the curvature of a football to be placed-kicked, said toe having an underlying sole portion, and said concavity being oriented forwardly and slightly upwardly of the toe and opening downwardly through the front of said sole portion.

2. The shoe as defined in claim 1 wherein said concavity has a compound curvature in both horizontal and vertical planes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,107,667 2/1938 Hermson 36-25 2,661,547 12/1953 Hyde et al 36--2.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,249,431 11/ 1960 France.

924,425 1/ 1955 Germany.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHOE FOR PLACE-KICKING A FOOTBALL, SAID SHOE HAVING A TOE ESPECIALLY FORMED TO PROVIDE A CONCAVITY WHICH PRESENTS A BALL CONTACTING SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTAL TO THE CURVATURE OF A FOOTBALL TO BE PLACED-KICKED, SAID TOE HAVING AN UNDERLYING SOLE PORTION, AND SAID CONCAVITY BEING ORIENTED FORWARDLY AND SLIGHTLY UPWARDLY OF THE TOE AND OPENING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE FRONT OF SAID SOLE PORTION. 